Siddhant Shah, an architect, recently wrote an article for Architectural Digest and stated that a building’s esthetics should not only be designed to look amazing, but should facilitate the experience for all, including individuals with disabilities. Smooth polished marble floors, for instance look pleasing to the eye, but they also impede navigation for people who are visually impaired or the elderly. With a little forethought, a floor designed with different coloured tiles to highlight or demarcate sections would act as a guide for the user.

Moving houses can be one of the most stressful times in a person’s life. Often, the reason for the move is because its layout is no longer compatible with the abilities of the aging homeowner. Many homeowners are now thinking proactively about future challenges in their accommodation needs by ‘Renovating for Life.’ This trend means homeowners are upgrading their existing homes by considering their future needs and not just what colour palate is in Vogue today.

Creating a community that is inclusive and accessible is not about meeting the needs of people with disabilities, but rather, meeting the needs of people. Here are four tips for creating more inclusive workplaces.

Just like the studies that reveal the benefits of inclusion in work places, many studies show that inclusive classrooms are beneficial for students, and not just those who receive special education services. Here are five benefits of inclusive classrooms as according to Understood.org .

In a guest post on Forbes Community, the author of a book called “The Innovation Mentality” says it’s time to scrap the concept of “diversity” and start focusing fully on “inclusion,” which is really an extension of individuality.

Inclusiveness, says the Denver Foundation can help non-profit organizations be more effective, and better serve their constituents and communities. Demographic shifts are changing the makeup of the communities, and non-profits need to change with the times.

The Brookfield Zoo outside Chicago is has implemented ways to become more inclusive to all guests, as part of its “Zoo for All” initiative. The zoo has opened a calming, “sensory-friendly” family room and an Inclusion Resource Center for families who have children with disabilities.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has a world-class reputation, known for being on the forefront of technology and innovation. The prestigious learning institution is also working to stay abreast of progressive, inclusive teaching methods or “inclusive pedagogies.”

A Rwandan-created Twitter campaign called the “Sign your Name Challenge” has taken off, with political figures, musicians and media personalities taking part, learning how to spell out their names in sign language. The campaign was initiated by Media for Deaf Rwanda. The founder of Media for the Deaf Rwanda explained that the #SignYourNameChallenge was started with the aim of enlightening Rwandan society about the existence of Rwandan sign language.

A lengthy list of familiar names makes up Canada's Best Diversity Employers, published in the Globe and Mail in the spring of 2018. The employers were named for having inclusive and respectful work environments and successful diversity initiatives in areas including women, members of visible minorities, persons with disabilities, Indigenous people and LGBTQ people.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) blog says one in five Americans has a disability, and one in eight Americans is 65 and older. “If your website isn’t accessible to them, you could be losing out on potential job candidates or new customers, and exposing yourself to legal risk.”

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has launched an ambitious strategy that they hope will “hardwire diversity and inclusion into everything the Corporation does.” The new strategy aims to make dramatic improvements in the corporation’s inclusivity and representation of the diverse population of the United Kingdom. The strategy sets out how­­­­­­­ the BBC will “do even more to reflect the public it serves.”

Glamour, the American fashion magazine, recently published a first-person piece by a writer with on the topic of fashion for people with disabilities. Writer Keah Brown, who is a person who has cerebral palsy, says every day actions like buttoning pants is frustrating and time-consuming. Now, she says, people with disabilities are starting to ease onto the radar of a tiny slice of the fashion industry.

A blog article on Socialcare.com.au reveals that American retailer K-Mart is alive and well in Australia, and leading the way with its inclusive marketing. In 2016 K-Mart Australia started featuring children with disabilities on a regular basis in its flyers and TV advertising. Children with Down’s Syndrome and kids using wheelchairs are now part of K-Mart Australia’s regular marketing efforts.

Non-profit organization RespectAbility has launched “The Hollywood Disability Toolkit: The RespectAbility Guide to Inclusion in the Entertainment Industry.” The toolkit, which is available free online, aims to assist the Hollywood entertainment machine with facts and sources to create opportunities for people with disabilities.

The current “special ed” system isn’t working, says this American special education specialist in an opinion piece published on ThinkInclusive.us. “What we have today are fragments and pockets of schools and communities that ‘do inclusion’ well. The vast majority of places, however, are either unwilling to implement inclusive classrooms or lack the resources to know where to start.”

Think Inclusive is a website devoted to “Inclusive education advocacy, news and resources.” This article is from Elizabeth Stein, a special education teacher in the U.S. who asks, “How can we do we get more teachers to make inclusion work?” Here are her ideas:

Everyone deserves a park, says America’s National Recreational Parks Association (NRPA). The NRPA is dedicated to ensuring that all people have access to the benefits of local parks and recreation. To achieve this, NRPA has made a formal commitment to the Partnership for Inclusive Health’s Commit to Inclusion initiative. They’re calling the three-year pledge “Parks for Inclusion.”